GEORGE TOWN: Pedestrians using the ferry service will enjoy free rides from July 1 till the end of this year, courtesy of the Penang government.
State Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the state has set aside RM468,000 to benefit all Malaysian foot passengers, to help ease their burdens during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The state government will allocate RM78,000 for about 65,000 tickets per month. The overall allocation from July until December this year is RM468,000.
"It is hoped that by funding the ferry fees at such a critical time, it will help ease the cost of travelling faced by ferry foot passengers," he said today.
Elaborating, Zairil said the move was an extension of the My30 journey pass launched in March this year to fund Rapid Penang bus fares for those who signed up for the pass.
"With the free ferry rides, both land and water public transport can be used at no cost to local users," he added.
Malaysian foot passengers need only bring their MyKad, which will be scanned by a device provided by Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) before they board the ferry.
After nearly a century of service, Penang's iconic car-carrying ferries ceased operations on Dec 31 last year.
Beginning Jan 1 this year, PPSB, which took over the ferry services from Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, began operating fast passenger boats between the mainland and the island, while one of the iconic ferries, Pulau Angsa, is used to transport only motorcycles and bicycles.
This is only in the interim before PPSB introduces passenger-only water buses and vehicle transporters by July 2022.